1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to hammers and, more particularly, to an improved nail-starting hammer head for starting a nail in a structure with maximum stability and minimum effort.
2. Description of the Background
The use of hammers with a nail-starting capability is known in the prior art. Generally, these devices temporarily hold a nail in some sort of holding device. Both retention clips and magnets have been used for this purpose. The holding device holds the nail through a short starting stroke so that the nail strikes the wood and begins to penetrate. The nail is then freed and driven the rest of the way with full force. Despite the simplicity of the concept, there are many subtle design considerations that should be accounted for. For example, the holding device should fit a variety of nails that are standard in the field of carpentry. From 6 penny to 16 penny nails are typical, and these may be standard headed, finish headed, and even double headed. There are also special purpose nails such as roofing nails, drywall nails, and special industrial nails, etc. In addition to nail-size considerations, the holding device must be economically incorporated into the hammer head, and it must be stable, safe and easy to use. In the latter regard, the holding device must be strong and able to securely seat the foregoing variety of nails and sizes against a firm downwardly-pivoting stroke. The seating should remain stable despite off-center swings, mishits, angular impact, turning handles, etc. Perhaps most importantly, the holding device must be easy to use. An auto-releasing feature helps in this regard so that the user can release the nail from the holder without effort and continue on immediately with full-force pounding.
The prior art in this area is very crowded, and yet each known reference seems to pursue only one or two of the above-referenced design objects.
Specifically, many prior art references suggest top-loading devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,172 to Palomera, U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,020 to Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,764 to Hoosier, U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,764 to Hanlon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,828 to Matheis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,230 to Reed and others all teach top loading devices in which the nail is inserted on the top of the holding device. Top loaders are inherently unstable against the downward arc of a typical hammer swing, and the nails seated therein are susceptible to ejection.
There are many bottom-loading devices that provide somewhat more stability. However, these often sacrifice the convenience of automatic nail-release. Preferably, once the nail has been set, the carpenter should be able to expediently disengage the hammer from the nail without the need for significant force, un-clipping or angling motions, etc. This way, he can proceed uninterrupted to pounding in the nail and, after repeating the task time after time, finish the job much more quickly. None of the known bottom-loading devices provide this capability. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 1,133,277 to Gore, U.S. Pat. No. 903,095 to Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 937,987 to Carlson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,372 to Aherin, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,922,890 to Gevert all shown bottom-loading self-starting nail drivers with nail clips or the like on the bottom of the hammer head that require varying degrees of manipulation to disengage the nail from the head of the hammer after it has been set. This effort can and should be eliminated.
A singular U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,433 to Sickler shows a nail holding hatchet (FIGS. 5-9) with a crotch running along the bottom of the hammer head which guides the nail, and a flat recess in the bottom neck of the hammer head to stabilize the head of the nail. No magnet or clip insert is suggested. However, the configuration of the nail holding device itself is more stable than the foregoing patents for the following reasons:
1. The nail is loaded from beneath the striking head. PA1 2. The head of the nail is seated within a flat recess. PA1 3. The length of the nail is seated and supported within a crotch. PA1 1. Nail is loaded from beneath the striking head for maximum stability. PA1 2. Head of the nail is seated within a specially-forged (or bored) nail head seat which provides a conical-taper to accommodate a range of nail types/sizes, and which eliminates sliding and prevents shifting despite a downwardly-arcing drive. PA1 3. Length of the nail is supported by a clip or magnet. PA1 4. Clip or magnet is seated between lobes that form an elongate channel for further support and protection.
In addition to the above, the nail is more easily disengaged by shifting the hammer which, according to Mr. Sickler, can be mastered after a few practice strokes. These three qualities provide a good foundation for the improvements of the present invention which, when combined, provide an improved nail-starting hammer head for starting a nail in a structure with absolute maximum stability and minimum effort.